Track and field postseason kicks off with girls DAC championship Tuesday at Valparaiso

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The girls DAC track and field championship meet takes place Tuesday at Valparaiso with a field that more closely resembles the level of competition Chesterton will face at the regional than does the sectional meet.
The DAC meet isn’t connected to the sectional or regional meets, but that doesn’t dilute the prestige of the titles won there. For example, Chesterton sophomore Arti Haney forever will be known as a DAC champion after scoring a big upset in the long jump a year ago with a 17-10.25. Teammates Hailey Geiser, Aubrey Bamber, Kaylee Dade and Lily Gilbert have jumped longer than Haney this season, but that doesn’t change her status as a DAC champion.
Hailey Geiser will be going for a DAC 3-peat in the high jump. She jumped 5-foot-4 as a sophomore and again as a junior.
But the only athlete on the team who ranks at the top of the list of best marks among DAC athletes in this season’s regular season is sprinter Kenedi Bradley and here name is first in two events. Bradley’s 12.01 100 meters is the fastest time in the DAC, followed by Portage ‘s Tiara Gray (12.06). Bradley won the 100 at the DAC meet last season with a 12.44. Her school record 24.90 in the 200 meters is the fastest DAC time this season.
All three Chesterton relays also rank high. The school record 48.47 that Ava Kontos, Dade, Addison Pack and Bradley ran is second only to Valparaiso’s 48.06. The 4:06 that Gretta McCrovitz, Taylor Kisic, Dade and Bamber ran is the second fastest 4x400 in the DAC, behind Valpo (3:58.28). Chesterton’s 9:37.94 4x800 (Hannah Haring, Kisic, Paige Clancy and Veronica Wilgocki) is third, behind only Valpo (9:29.81) and Lake Central (9:37.68).
The sectional meet is Tuesday, May 20 at Chesterton. The regional is Tuesday, May 27 at Portage, and the state finals are Saturday, June 7 at North Central High in Indianapolis.